The year 2015 proved to be a game changer for Pakistan in several aspects. Although it would be ignorant to forget major critical problems related to governance, economic growth and the general law and order situation in the country, it is important that important feats be acknowledged. And not just any accomplishments; the 5 selected achievements I have highlighted below are milestones in themselves. I say this not out of
After a prolonged period of drastic reduction in major terrorist attacks, Pakistan is again bleeding. Terrorists associated with the Pakistan Taliban’s (TTP’s) Tariq Geedar group, headed by Umar Mansoor alias “Naray (Slim)”, claimed responsibility for yet another brazen attack on an educational institution. The Bacha Khan University (BKU) in Charsadda was attacked on the morning of January 20 by a group of killers who looked almost the same age as
On January 2, 2016, a group of 5 heavily-armed terrorists attacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot, Punjab, killing 7 security personnel including a serving Lt Col of the Indian Army. India’s hyper-sensationalist media once again jumped to conclusions, with each news outlet quoting its own ‘high ranking’ anonymous sources giving their own differing versions of the incident. Some said it was carried out by Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) whereas
The race for nuclear technology in South Asia began as early as 1944 when Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha (known as the father of India’s nuclear program) founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) devoted to nuclear studies. Efforts by Bhabha and his associates were gaining attention of statesmen such as Jawaharlal Nehru, founder of an otherwise dialogue-centric Nehruvian school of thought which prioritizes talks over military might. On June
Indian media is known to regularly incline towards sensationalism, even at the expense of covering more important issues. Electronic media in India, unlike the comparatively independent and serious print media, often reflects a strong pro-establishment narrative. This is the reason why red tickers and flashes on “Breaking News” seem to take the very pulse out of an ordinary viewer who would perhaps be more concerned with domestic sanitation, healthcare, human
On 12 June 2015, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced in its press release that the first ever Pakistan-Russia Staff Talks in military history were being held in Rawalpindi. To be more precise, with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Leading the visiting delegation is Vice Admiral Volozhinskiy Andrey Olgertovich, Deputy Chief of Main Operations and Director of the General State Armed Forces of Russian Federation. To clarify further,
In developed countries, law enforcement agencies and citizens who are mindful of their social obligations form liaison committees to share useful information with each other; especially during investigations. In Pakistan, the most famous example quoted in the media is that of Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) in Karachi. Unfortunately, this forum became heavily politicized by a certain political party which is known to have militant leanings. Its presence in just
Civil-Military Relations or CMR is defined as the relationship between the civilian authority and military organizations. They are a set of cohesive measures designed to ensure that a stable equilibrium exists for the smooth running of a country. In Pakistan, for instance, the civil authority refers to the political and administrative setup (Prime Minister’s Cabinet, the President, various civil agencies and heads of ministries such as the Ministry of Interior